Polish minority in Lithuania commemorates WWII genocide

A ceremony dedicated to difficult times in Polish-Lithuanian relations will be held on December 3rd, 2016 in Podbrodzie, a city located near Vilnius where most of the Polish minority in Lithuania lives.

From November 1939 to June 1940, labor camps located there held people from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita) – Poles, Belarusians, Russians, Jews, Catholics, Orthodox, etc. – who were considered by the Lithuanian authorities to have unsettling ideological and political views.

Only recent historical research has clearly shown that the labor camps were situated in this area of Lithuania. Poles were kept in disastrous conditions and died en masse. The exact number of victims is still unknown.

The ceremony, organized by Polish social movements, aims to commemorate this place of Polish martyrdom. Both Catholic and Orthodox memorial crosses will be erected to eternize the memory of those who died or were killed by the Lithuanian authorities.

A group of 100 people is expected to attend. Representatives of concerned public groups, activists, and public figures are among the participants of the event.

The event will begin on December 3rd, 2016 (Saturday) at 3 P.M. and end at around 5:30 P.M.